(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an error-correction assistance system for allowing a display device to display an error such as an abnormality or a malfunction occurring at an apparatus including various drive mechanisms such as a workpiece processing mechanism and a workpiece transporting mechanism, and for assisting correction of the displayed error.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In an apparatus including various drive mechanisms such as a workpiece processing mechanism and a workpiece transporting mechanism and a process performed by the apparatus, there has been adopted a display system for notifying an operator of an error such as an abnormality or a malfunction occurring at each drive mechanism. For example, an IC transporting apparatus includes a display device capable of readily identifying a transport error occurrence site in course of transport of an IC among respective processing mechanisms from a loader to an unloader.
This display device schematically displays main processes performed by the respective processing mechanisms from the loader to the unloader, and allows a light emitting diode, corresponding to a process in which an error occurs, to flash. In addition, the display device displays a message about the error on a lower portion of a display region thereof (refer to, e.g., JP-A 06-148251 (FIG. 1 of the reference)).
However, a conventional display device has the following problems.
The conventional display device is effective at identifying a process in which an error occurs. However, the conventional display device only uses character information in order to notify an operator of a state of the error occurring at a drive mechanism in the process. This results in the following disadvantage: only a skilled operator can promptly identify an error occurrence site in the drive mechanism based on the character information.
In particular, as a result of advanced automation of an apparatus in recent years, an operator does not necessarily to manage the apparatus constantly. Consequently, skilled operators are reduced in number, so that unskilled operators must correct an error in many cases.
Therefore, the unskilled operators must correct an error while referring to a manipulation manual and the like. As a result, there arises a problem that it takes much time to correct an error.